Gun carrier



R- F. BATES GUN CARRIER Jan. 2, 1951 Filed Feb. 26, 1948 INVENTOR RAYMOND E .Bflrss BY %& 7

ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 2,536,252 GUN CARRIER Raymond F. Bates, Cleveland, Ohio Application'February 26, 1948, Serial No. 11,131

3 Claims.

The present invention relates to carriers for guns, rifles, shot-guns and the like, and more particularly to gun carriers which are adapted to be used by hunters in the field.

Gun carriers of this general type have been constructed so that the gun is carried in a substantially horizontal position across the front of the hunter. This position of the gun is exceedingly dangerous since it is frequently pointed at a fellow hunter and serious accidents are likely to occur if the gun is inadvertently fired.

The gun carrier according to the present invention supports the gun in a substantially vertical position with the muzz e directed upwards, thereby preventing the possibility of accidental firing at another person. The carrier is light weight and so arranged that the weight of the gun is distributed over one shoulder and to a lesser degree against the hip. One of the principal features of the carrier is that it permits the gun to be removed from the carrier quickly and easily, without any danger of it becoming entangled with the carrier. This is an essential feature of a gun carrier for hunters since it is often necessary to raise the gun to the firing position quickly and with freedom from interference by the carrier itself.

The invention will be described more fully hereinafter, reference being made to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the gun carrier and harness;

Figure 2 is a side elevational view of the carrier;

Figure 3 is a partial cross-sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a top plan view of the carrier.

With reference to Figure 1, the gun carrier, which is indicated at l I, is supported by a harness of any suitable type which may consist of straps l2, l3, l4 and I5, as shown in the drawing. The harness may be made of any strong flexible material, such as leather or webbing or the like. Strap 15 is adapted to pass over the users shoulder while strap M will pass under the arm, thus preventing the shoulder strap l5 from pressing or rubbing against th users neck. A shotgun 6 is shown in dotted lines in position on the gun carrier l I.

The gun carrier itself, as shown in Figures 2, 3 and 4, consists of a hollow body I! provided with a generally curved convex outer surface l8 and a slightly curved concave surface IS on the inside. The body may be made of any rigid and light material such as metal, plastic, wood and the like.

The curved outer surface [8 may, if desired, be provided with a hinged cover 20 to provide access into the chamber 2| provided within the hollow body IT. This chamber 2| may be used for carrying shells or miscellaneous articles, when desired. The cover 20 is provided with a finger grip 22 and an interior catch 23 which cooperates with a spring 24 for releasably holding the hinged cover in the closed position.

The body I! is provided with a gun supporting surface or cradle 25 at the top thereof for receiving the butt end of the stock of a gun. The four upper corners of the body I! ar built up so as to provide posts 25 for preventing the end of the gun stock from accidentally slipping from the cradle 25 while the hunter is walking. The surface of cradle 25 slopes slightly to the right as shown in Figure 3, that is, downwardly from the outside to the inside of the carrier. This tends to tilt the gun toward the hunter and causes the carrier l l to press snugly against th hunters hip. This feature makes the carrier more comfortable, especially after it has been worn for several hours.

Intermediate the ends of the body H, a strap 21 is provided to further prevent accidental movement of the butt of the gun while being carried in the cradle. The strap 21 may be secured beneath the cradle by a rivet 28, as shown in Figure 3. The strap 21 extends upwardly around the side of the cradle and forms a forwardly disposed loop which prevents the gun stock from moving forwardly. This strap may be made of any sturdy and flexible material, such as leather or webbing or the like. The floor of the cradle 25 may be provided with a resilient pad or cushion 29 which may be made of leather, sponge rubber or other resilient material. I have found that sponge rubber is particularly suitable since it assists in preventing the gun butt from slipping from the cradle and yet does not retard or hinder the removal of the gun from the carrier. If desired small pieces of resilient material may be disposed in the corners of the cradle to prevent the gun stock from moving about while being carried on the cradle.

At the ends of the body I! there are provided eyelets or other fasteners 30 and 3| for securing the ends of straps l2 and I 3. The forward fastener 3'9 is preferably located near the inner convex surface [9 of the body H, as shown in Figure 3, and may be disposed at an angle to conform to the general direction of strap [3 when the carrier is being worn. At the opposite end of the body I1, the fastener 3| is secured to a projecting angular portion 32 so the fastener will conform in general to the direction taken by strap I2 When it is desired to remove the gun from the carrier quickly, for example to raise it to the firing position, the right hand is thrust forward, thus raising the heel of the gun stock out of the cradle 25. The strap 21 prevents the gun stock from movingforward and causes the gun to pivot on the toe of the gun stock. As soon'as the heel of the stock hasbeen raised by this pivotal motion, it is completely free of the gun carrier and the gun can be readily raised to the firing position. a

The area of the cradle between. the post's 26 and the location of the strap 21 are such asto permit the gun carrier to be used with all stand= ard guns.

-While the present invention has been described with particular reference to the carrier shown in the drawings, it is to be understood that various modifications are contemplated and that the invention is limited only by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a gun carrier device, a: hollow body constituting a shallow cradle. for' releasably receiving the butt of the stock of a gun and for supporting the gun' ina substantially vertical position, said cradle having a substantially flat-upper surface which slopes downwardly toward the inner edge of the cradle, and means at-the pe- 4 riphery of the cradle for preventing accidental lateral movement of the butt with respect to said cradle while permitting unrestrained movement of the butt upwardly from the cradle.

2. In a gun carrier device, means forming a shallow cradle for releasably receiving the butt of the stock of a gun and for supporting the gun in a substantially vertical position and post members' disposed about the periphery of the shallow cradle for preventing accidental lateral movement of the butt with respect to said cradle while permitting unrestricted movement of the butt upwardly from the cradle.

3. A device as claimed in claim 2 and further 7 comprisinga strip of flexible material connected to said. cradle and passing over said cradle to form a loop'for releasably engaging the front edge of the gun. stock when in. position on the carrier, said strip cooperating with said post members for preventing accidental lateral movement of' the butt with respect to the" cradle. H

RAYMOND F. BATES.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent? UNITED STATES PATENTS" Number Name Date 919,301 Anderson -1 Apr. 27, 1909 1,549,400 Wimler- Aug. 11, 1925 1,720,982 Van Brunt July 16, 1929 1,837,939 Zimmerman Dec. 22; 1931 1,914,259 Irwin"; -Ju-ne 13 -1933 2,098,636 Smith et al. Nov. 9, 1937 2,316,995 Smith Apr.-20, 1943 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 2,186 Great Britain Jan. 27, 1913 

